Giant Drill Near Hamptons Beach Marks Offshore Wind’s US Arrival

A drill as tall as a house stands on the blustery shore of the Atlantic Ocean, digging a tunnel deep under an exclusive New York beach. Soon workers will pull a cable through the sand to carry electricity from what is poised to be the first big offshore wind farm completed in US waters.

After more than a decade of stops, starts and high-profile failures, construction of a massive new US power source meant to displace planet-warming fossil fuels has finally begun at a turbulent time for the industry.

“It’s no longer about spreadsheets and Word documents,” said Jennifer Garvey, an executive ...